Electronic structure investigation of pyrochlore spin-ice Pr2Zr2O7

ORAL

Abstract

Pyrochlore Praseodymium Zirconate Pr2Zr2O7 is a quantum spin-ice material at low temperatures due to its frustrated magnetic lattice. A compositional series of Pr2+xZr2-xO7-x/2 crystals fabricated by four-mirror optical floating zone furnace technique1 were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry and compared to density functional theory (DFT) simulation. Ellipsometry and CL microscopy revealed a band gap of 5.25 eV for the material with a consistent set of mid-gap energy values across the compositional series. FTIR spectroscopy corroborated overlapping energy positions and determined absorption values down to 0.3 eV. Suggested assignments of defects to energy levels measured will be presented based on DFT results.

1Koohpayeh et al, Journal of Crystal Growth 402 291-298 (2014)

–

Presenters

  • Zachary T Socha

    University of Alabama

Authors

  • Zachary T Socha

    University of Alabama

  • Benjamin Trump

    National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Brian Hoskins

    Nanoscale Device Characterization Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Kathryn Arpino

    Johns Hopkins University

  • Seyed M Koohpayeh

    Johns Hopkins University

  • Tyrel M McQueen

    Johns Hopkins University, Institute for Quantum Matter, William H. Miller III Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University

  • Adam Hauser

    University of Alabama, The University of Alabama